To Give Thanks

Now the year is coming to an end, my thoughts turn to how much we have to be grateful for….and there is one thing that comes to the top of my list.

See the man running in this photo….let me introduce him..please meet my husband, Jas!

Now you are probably wondering why this photo would be so important…well just over eighteen months ago, he looked like this….

Jas on the day of his liver transplant

Jas has Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) which basically caused the bile ducts in his liver to scar and become blocked, and gradually, his liver began to fail.

After about 20 years of living with this autoimmune disease, a liver transplant was the only option in order to survive.

So he was put on the waiting list…life became a blur of visits to emergency, stays in hospital, tests and more tests….and we waited 14 very long months for the call, a call that meant that finally, he was the best match for the available donor liver.

I will write more about what he went through another time…for the moment, it’s that time of year where I just want to remember and give thanks….

Thanks firstly to the generous donor family who gave their permission for organ donation, and saved the life of Jas and many others.

Secondly, I would like to give thanks to the amazing doctors, surgeons, nurses and other staff at the Liver Transplant Unit at the Austin Hospital. They kept Jas alive despite horrible infections, got him through the transplant journey, and onto recovery and good health.

And lastly, I want to give thanks to our wonderful friends and family who assisted Jas and I through the tough times, and were there when we needed them.

Without these people, plus Jas’s determination, stubbornness, and strength, the man you see running in that photo would not be here today, let alone looking healthier and fitter the most of us!

So as 2013 slowly ticks over into the new year, I remember past years of watching my husband slowly get sicker, waiting for the call from the transplant unit, and the threat of dying becoming more and more real.

I also think of the donor family who will be missing their loved family member.

And then I look at Jas now, and I look forward to 2014, to seeing his amazing recovery continue, and enjoy sharing his second chance of life!

And please, if you are not a registered organ donor, give it some thought and perhaps ponder this..if you needed a transplant to save your life, would you accept a donor organ?

Remember, it is also very important to talk about organ donation with your family and loved ones, so they know what your choice is.

For more info on organ donation, visit Donatelife.